Rothwell Ice House

Ice houses were a large part of the Cape Cod landscape during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, as ice was used to preserve food, cool drinks and make ice cream. Ice harvesting on New England ponds, lakes and rivers used to be a big winter business. Santuit/Cotuit ice was harvested from Eagle, Lewis and No Bottom Ponds and sold to townspeople to preserve their food. During the months of January and February it was a common sight to see ice blocks 10-12 inches thick harvested and stored in large and small ice houses.

This ice house was built circa 1898 for James E. Rothwell, “Cement King of Massachusetts” and was later owned by Mabel Riley (1883 – 1941) the textile machinery heiress, and John H. Pickering (1916-2001) founder of the prominent DC law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. The ice house has a privy, or outhouse, that was added later, presumably for Miss Riley’s gardener who lived in the carriage house..

In 2009, Mr. Eric Sliska, the owner of the property on which the ice house was located, 131 Ocean View Avenue, donated the ice house/privy to the Historical Society after the Historical Commission required him to keep the building intact when he applied for a permit to rebuild his house. Cotuit resident Bob Hayden moved the ice house from 131 Ocean View Avenue to 1148 Main Street in September 2009.

In April 2011, the Community Preservation Committee approved the Historical Society’s grant request for $8,000, and on June 2, 2011, the Barnstable Town Council gave the grant final approval. The grant paid for a new red cedar roof, new white cedar exterior shingles, electric lighting and a beam and tackle above the front door.The ice house, opened in the summer of 2012, has a wonderful exhibit of ice harvesting tools and photographs.